GODZILLA
US, 1998, 132 minutes, Colour.
Matthew Broderick, Jean Reno, Maria Pitillo, Hank Azaria, Kevin Dunn, Michael Lerner, Harry Shearer.
Directed by Roland Emmerich.
The Independence Day makers have gone back to marauding monsters and so a big-budget, widescreen Godzilla visits New York with predictably spectacular consequences. Once the stuff of nightmares, now it is obligatory matinee thrills. You know exactly what you are going to get. (And the French are under attack. Mururoa has now even more to answer for.) Monsters on the warpath.
1. The popularity of the character, from the Japanese films and Japanese mythology? The small B-budget films about Godzilla? The contrast with this mega-million-dollar budget?
2. The special effects, the destruction, at sea, in New York City, the Chrysler Building, the Brooklyn Bridge? The streets of New York, the Underground, Madison Square Garden? The impact for this kind of destruction in the United States (and in such films of the time as Deep Impact and Armageddon)? In the light of the events of 2001?
3. The popularity of Godzilla, a monster, wanting to find a place for its young? How much sentiment in this version of the story?
4. The nuclear background, the French tests in Mururoa Atoll, the mutations, the new species, their being magnified, destructive? The film's comment on the French tests and the dangers? The members of the French Secret Service involved in the search - a sign of some kind of change of heart and atonement?
5. The opening: the monster, the sea, the destruction of the ships, the introduction of the central characters intercut with this destruction? The progress of Godzilla towards the east coast of the United States? The building up of atmosphere? The tongue-in-cheek scene of its arrival, the old man fishing on the wharf and his running for his life? The build-up to the swathe of destruction through the streets, buildings, cars, people?
6. Nick, his work in Chernobyl, the mutant earthworm, the Secret Service coming to get him? His being briefed, being taken to the footprint, the military and their asking him to help? His dismay? His theories, his collaboration with the other scientists, with the military? His pursuit of Godzilla, his looking eye-to-eye with the creature? His wanting to lure the creature out rather than have a pursuit? The meeting with Audrey, his discussions with her, her taking his information and tapes, his dismay? His being sacked? The encounter with Philippe, going to the French headquarters, finding the nest, the collaboration, Madison Square Garden, speculation about the eggs, his listening, their being hatched? Meeting Audrey and Animal? The strategy for communicating, Audrey and the television, his interview, his being vindicated? The destruction of Madison Square Garden? The achievement of his mission? Character, scientist, genial, a touch of the nerd, the expert, but resourceful?
7. Philippe, his cover of the insurance team, his men? The information, the videos? In New York, the encounter with Nick? Following him, urging him to join the team, his participation in the search for the nest, the death of his men, the pursuit, his anonymity, taking the tape for editing and promising to send it back?
8. Hicks, his being in command? His effectiveness, the military dilemmas? Nick's advice? The mayor, powers-that-be? The pressures, the strategies, the tactics? Sending in the troops, the planes and helicopters? The massive destruction? The shrewdness of Godzilla, leading the planes and the troops, his breath, swallowing them, sending the fire back on themselves, the swish of his tail and its destructiveness, his feet and crushing?
9. The mayor, his speech, panicking, the politician rather than concerned about people, his humiliating his adviser? His plans, thinking the city was safe, arguing against the theories? His permitting the searches? The final wanting to capitalise on being the mayor who saved New York?
10. Audrey, her failure as a reporter, Carl and his proposition? Animal and his wife urging her to be strong? Her meeting Nick, getting the information, her program being stolen by Carl? Her being sorry that Nick was sacked, trying to make amends, with Animal in Madison Square Garden, Animal and Audrey enabling the broadcast to take place, warning people, showing them the eggs? Her being vindicated? Animal, photos at any cost, the initial photos and his almost being crushed, friendship with Audrey, in Madison Square Garden, the videotape? His camera? His wife and her caution, seeing him on television?
11. The leading soldier, his seeming ineptitude at times? His coming through at the end? The policy of fire at will and the destructiveness of the buildings in New York (even more than Godzilla himself)? The role of the military?
12. The eggs, the hatching, the small monsters? The flames on Madison Square Garden? Godzilla being shot, in the ocean, reappearing, being lured by the group in the taxi to Brooklyn Bridge, entangles in the suspension wires, killed?
13. The irony of one egg being left and the possibility for more Godzilla destruction?
14. The popularity of this kind of monster film, what if...? The spectacular destruction? Special effects?
